The present invention relates generally to an automated freezer which stores frozen food in a cartridge and automatically removes the frozen food from the cartridge of the freezer component in response to a request for the food.
Freezers are used to keep objects frozen, such as food. Freezers are commonly used in residences, grocery stores, and restaurants. In the restaurant or food service industry, food is often stored in a freezer prior to preparation and serving. The food is usually manually placed into the freezer by an employee. When the food is to be prepared and served, the food is manually removed by an employee. A drawback to the prior art freezers is that additional manual labor is needed to remove the food from the freezer.
In one prior automated freezer, the food is manually stacked on a platform in the freezer compartment. When a request for the food is received, the platform is raised and a removal device removes the food from the automated freezer.
A drawback to this prior automated freezer is that the food is manually stacked in the automated freezer, and the freezer door is therefore open during stacking, allowing cool air to escape. It would be beneficial to use an automated freezer that employs a cartridge that is loaded with the food outside of the automated freezer.